Hi all,

Following on from my post re the remote - which incidentally has not improved even given all the very good advice from forum members, thank you.

Now the box is really dropping to pieces.

First, it becomes really un responsive and hangs like a doddery pc running windows and loads of applications at the same time. I put up with this.

Then, scheduled recordings dont happen. BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 and Film 4. Since Thursday to date. I have checked the date and times and the box does not power up from standby or indeed start recording even when it is switched on.

Now, the box powered up tonight at 22:10 and started recording, BBC HD. Nothing in the planner.

Box then never went back into standby 90 minutes later. It continued to be active (red light, time on display). when i switched on to check, nothing, not even recording.

Now I dont trust anything in the schedule and as for responsiveness - non-existent.

I am SERIOUSLY considering biting the bullet and asking Sky to accept me back. I dont want to but I am not putting up with this, at least a sky box recorded when it was supposed to.

There is no support from Humax and it does appear that they have abandoned it.

Cheers,

sps

Clearly your box has developed a serious fault. I don't understand why don't you take it back for repair or preferably a replacement.

As deltaX has said your box must have a serious fault.I moved from sky plus just over a month ago and i think the humax is sooooooo much better i've had no problem's at all.return your box 'get a replacement and forget sky.All the best .

I seem to have had a similar problem. The box has been great since I got it and I have sung its praises here and elsewhere.

Switched the box on for the first time in a few days (though I know I had a number of recordings scheduled) and none of them seemed to have happened but no error messages either. I just managed to catch a recording I wanted tonight on a +1 channel and started recording it manually and that seems to have started OK. I have set up another recording for tomorrow for a rerun of one of the other programmes I have missed but I am not happy as I am going away for a few days this week and don't know if I can trust it.

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

Regards,
WW

Return the box, theres no way you can fix this, it looks like you have a lemon.

Return the faulty box to the retailer for a replacement.


Sky don't need much asking to accept you back!

If you then receive a faulty Sky box, follow the same procedure: return it for a replacement or get them to fix it.

In a word, yes. There has been a lot of buggering around with the EPG recently. Channel4 had some bad series link information sent out, and then factor in Wimbeldon and Michael Jackson and it gets worse.

I would suggest that you delete all your scheduled recordings from the EPG and re-request them. That has fixed some issues for some of us. If you still have difficulties after that try a factory reset. If that does not improve your fortunes then I fear you may have a defective box and should get it replaced.

yes as germanycalling says there are problems with some epg data presently but personally I would go straight for the factory reset option and then start from scratch with new scheduled reservations

Please take it back - you or the box have a fault. Whay do you hope to acheive with this moaning.

Sounds like a faulty box, Mine has been perfect since day 1 with no issues like you describe, I even upgraded mine to 1TB with no problems - You would have to break my arms and leggs to go back to a Sky Dodgy Box.

...and mine. I knew what I was buying last December and it's functioned exactly as I expected, if not better. Assuming no-one is cooking their box in a small cabinet or the loft and the signal is good, a faulty box should be replaced.

Not saying that this is the problem but anyone "new" should note there are two bugs that cause failed recordings :
- electricity supply failure whilst box in standby
- leaving the box on a channel thats not transmitting e.g. cbeebies and cbbc

One would hope and expect these get fixed in the next firmware.

DAVT99--- What do I hope to achieve - to air my views in the vain hope that somebody from Humax will note the problems and take it on board. As for suggesting that I may be at fault! If only you knew who or what I do.

I dont understand the comments as to why I have posted this thread - simple, I am not happy. We have shelled out the best part of £280 and have a box which clearly is not upto the job.

And another thing - if people cant take somebody who is criticising a product then who is at fault. I work with electronics everyday of my life and software processes. I know when something is quite legitimately floored. The box concept and design are good no querstion about it but as is suggested in other threads, the bench testing failed and Humax have apparently abandoned the HDR for the time being.

Personally, I would rather have plenty of firmware updates that sort one or two niggles out every few weeks rather than having to wait months for one. It does not matter who you email at Humax, they only acknowledge the issue, no firm answer/remedy.

Thats is all this thread was about but clearly people take exception to the fact that people complain. If everybody took that stance then we would get nowhere.

Your box is faulty - so why don't you take it back and get a refund or a replacement?

Thanks for stating the obvious! I know that I am just entering it on here so that as I have said somebody takes note. You only have to look in the other threads to know that the HDR has been effectively abandoned to date.

I hear your frustration with the box you have got, but you should also hear that it is not a common complaint, and by no means a universal problem. You are entitled to a box that does what it was designed to do, even if you don't like the design. It should (and does) do the basics as described in its literature. It is your choice (once you get a box that does at least do the basics right) whether or not it's what you want. UK consumer law is on your side in that.


As for regular updates, I would agree with you IF the product was something that you registered with the manufacturer so that they can keep you informed of the changes, or at least they knew for sure that every owner has on-line access to a website to monitor the changes. They don't. Imagine what would happen if someone had bought one of these but was not pc/web/forum literate. Then every couple of weeks the box behaved differently, and the user had no way of knowing what has changed. I don't know how many pvrs Humax has sold, but it's many more than the few tens (hundreds?) of people who use forums. The exception being if there was a fundamental show stopping fault that would make the box unusable.

I do agree that we should have had the promised upgrade by now - although it is only us few who know it's going to happen.


Humax are not going to come knocking on your door with a replacement box. You bought it from someone - they are the ones you complain to. That's how UK consumer law works. Take it back to where you got it, explain that it's not working to specification - but you know there are lots of people who have boxes that do. You may even be able to have a nice chat with the person and ask them how many they have sold and if many of them are returned, and for why.

Humax have heard our complaints that they classify as 'niggles' (which in reality is about right), and have committed to doing something about it. The only real complain most of us have is their tardiness of getting out the fixes. We are promised they will be great (or at least well tested) when they come, but no commitment as to when that might be.

In the meanwhile, the box sits there and does what it's meant to do (subject to outside constraints like accurate metadata). And you should have one too.

Take it back and get a refund or swap. I have none of the faults you mention which implies that the fault is either you or the particular box you have. If mine was performing like yours it would have been returned.

Complain direct to Humax. If you had a car and the engine started going wrong while under warranty you wouldn't post on a forum would you. Your box will not perform as you expect - send it back and buy something else.

I sort of agree but unless you bought it from Humax Direct, then the shop that sold it to you is the first point of call (it would be the garage in your example).

Shops don't like the agro of processing returns and have more clout with the manufacturer/supplier (and more history of the success = profitability of the product) than a single consumer. Too many returns and they won't stock it anymore.

Exactly.

My box, bought in December and in constant use, has not exhibited the problems experienced by sps1013. Ergo, his/her particular box is at fault and they should take it back and get a replacement.

In this case the OP very possibly has a faulty box. However, if I had just bought a new car and I went to a website where MANY others are reporting problems with the car. It would be quite reasonable to post that I had had a similar experience..

On a positive note I have not had a crash for 3 months.. I am quite careful about not doing certain things.. which I why I still think that the primary cause of most problems is the firmware. Overly optimistic or not I am quite content to wait a bit longer for that - the product is working reasonably well at the moment.

Patrick

The retailer will make that decision TRUE - visit Argos and they are still selling it! - look at the reviews 5 stars and 200 of them to read through. We all know its not perfect but it ain't a bad product.

Mine was bought from Currys and they are still selling it too. If mine goes wrong then they will be getting it back. If they won't fix it then Humax will.

Technically true, but in my experience contacting Humax first was much easier, one conversation and courier came with a new box in a couple of days. I'd suggest ringing (not emailing) Humax first, if they don't jump then go to your supplier.